Portrait and bigraphical album of Livingston County, Ill. : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and biographies , Part 52

Author: Chapman Brothers (Chicago) publisher
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 1208

USA > Illinois > Livingston County > Portrait and bigraphical album of Livingston County, Ill. : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and biographies > Part 52

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LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

and now resides in Ford County. By the second marriage the subject of our sketch is the oldest child now living. Mary A. married John Knight, and resides in Edgeware, England; George lives in this county ; Elizabeth married Richard Barcock, and resides at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and James.

Thomas Day came to America in 1855, landing at New York City on the 23d of April, whence he soon proceeded to Paxton, Ford County, where he remained for six months. and then going to Che- ney's Grove, he remained one year, working by the month on a farm. From there he went to Penn- sylvania, and for the next three months engaged in the lumber business. He then returned to MeLean County, where he remained for two years, and in the spring of 1859 started for Pike's Peak on foot. At St. Louis he bought a new pair of boots, in which he walked until the soles were entirely worn off. Ile never reached Pike's Peak, however, but turned back just before arriving there, after hear- ing the dismal accounts that were given to him by the disappointed adventurers who were returning home. Upon reaching Wabaunsee, Kan., on his return trip, he concluded to remain a while, and pre-empted eighty acres of Government land, using a land warrant which had been issued to Benjamin Bisby. In 1861 he enlisted in Company K, 3d Illi- nois Cavalry, as a private, and served for three years and one month, during which time he partic- ipated in many of the well-known battles of the war. Ile was at Pea Ridge, Chickasaw Bayou, Vicksburg, Jackson, Arkansas Post. and many other engagements of less importance. He was dis- charged on the 5th of September, 1864, at Spring- field, Ill. During the time he was in the army he enjoyed "some fun," as he expresses it, and endured very many hardships. After he was discharged, he came to Livingston County and purchased forty acres of land, which he soon sold, and then moved to Saunemin Township, where he resided for eleven years on an 80 acre farm. This farm he dis- posed of, and purchased one of 160 acres in Pleas- ant Ridge Township in 1879, upon which he has since resided.

Mr. Day was married. on the 29th of August, 1865, to Miss Ann Chambers, who was born in the city of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, on the 11th

of April, 1849. She was the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Nutt) Chambers, natives of En- gland, and accompanied her parents to America in 1854. They now reside in Saunemin Township, Livingston County. To Mr. and Mrs. Day have been born five children-Annie E., George W., Aaron T., Martha J. and Charles B. Mr. Day and his family are active and influential members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Day takes considerable pride in the reputation he has earned for raising the highest grade of cattle in Livingston County. Hle is a good stockman, thoroughly un- derstanding all the delicate details of the business, and has been eminently snecessful, both as a farmer and stock-raiser. He is a member of the Repub- lican party, and takes considerable interest in po- litieal affairs, but has no inclination for office-hold- ing and has, therefore, never been an office-seeker. Ile is an enthusiastic comrade in Fairbury Post No. 75, G. A. R. In his social, as well as business relations with the people, Mr. Day has popularized himself, and enjoys the confidence of all classes of people.

ONIN L. SHEARER, junior member of the firm of Searing & Shearer, dealers in grain, agricultural implements and feed at Cullom, is the son of John J. and Catherine (Leh- man) Shearer, and a native of the Buckeye State. Ile was born in Franklin County Dec. 7, 1854, and when a youth of fourteen years came to this county with his parents, where he has since resided. He passed his boyhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, becoming familiar with ru- ral scenes and employments, and assisted in tilling the soil on the home farm until 1881.

Mr. Shearer, in the spring of the year mentioned, entered the employ of a grain firm in Cullom, and became so proficient in his duties that, four years later, he was admitted as a partner in the business. Ilis correct habits and straightforward manner of dealing have been the means of establishing him in the confidence and esteem of the best citizens of this locality, and he is now the sharer in a lucrative trade, and numbers among his friends and patrons the solid men of the community. IIe is looked

TILE FACTORY WEST OF HOUSE

RESIDENCE OF R. C. STRAIGHT, SEC. 9. INDIAN GROVE TOWNSHIP.

RleStraight

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LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

upon as one of the rising young men of Sullivan Township, of whom much is expected in the future.

Mr. Shearer established family ties on the 3d of April, 1883, by his marriage with Miss Jennie, daughter of Andrew and Caroline Park, who were natives of New Jersey. The father is deceased, and the mother lives near Cullom. Mrs. Shearer was born in Bureau, County Dec. 31, 1857. The little household ineludes two children, both daugh- ters, Florence and Ethel. Mr. Shearer possesses agreeable social traits which render him a valued member of the community, is intelligent and well read, and uniformly votes the Republican ticket.

R UFUS C. STRAIGHT. The man who has been a western farmer for twenty-five years can well remember what an undertaking it was to profitably drain his land with open ditches, and yet such drainage, in the absence of any better system, was necessary. A few years ago the tile was invented, and was quickly recognized as of inestimable value by the farmers, in not only enabling them to reclaim waste places, but to greatly increase the produetiveness of almost all land. The tile soon came into general use, and the result, so far as it relates to the agricultural districts, particularly of Illinois, has been wonder- ful.` The tile inventor, and also the tile manufact- urer, have been benefactors in their day and gen- eration of the entire people of the country. Prom- inent among the latter is the subject of this sketch, who, in addition to his farming operations, which are conducted on section 9, Indian Grove Town- ship, is engaged in the manufacture of tile. He is a gentleman who is not only well and favorably known in his immediate community, but through- out the county.

Mr. Straight was born in Chautauqua County, N. Y., June 28, 1835, and is the son of Arby P. and Philena (Simmons) Straight, also natives of the Em- pire State, and both of whom were born in the year 1803. They were married in July, 1824, and came to Livingston County in 1857. Here they purchased land, and followed farming until eight years ago, when they retired from active life, and

are now living at Fairbury. The former is a lead- ing member of the Free-Will Baptist Church, in which he has held the various offices of that body, while the latter is a Close-Communion Baptist. They have had nine children born to them, namely : Emily, now Mrs. N. C. Johnson; Mary, now Mrs. James H. Odell; Alonzo, who married Miss Ma- hala Stoddard; Levi, who married Miss Jane Lang- worthy ; David, who married Annie Cassidy; Ru- fus C; Caroline, now Mrs. Rogers; Johnson W., who married Miss Jennie Ellidge: Hiram, who mar- ried Annie Wheeler, and Milton Leander.

Mr. Straight married Miss Francina Abbey, a native of Pennsylvania, where she was born May 28, 1837. She is the daughter of Horatio and Martha (Smith) Abbey, natives of Erie County, Pa. The father came West, where he died, and the mother died many years ago in Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Straight have had born to them eight children : Willis, Lee, Lizzie, Nellie, Guy, Stella; Lena, who died Oet. 24, 1887, aged ten years, five months and twenty-six days; and Ray, who died in infancy.

Mr. Straight emigrated to Illinois in 1854, and located in Livingston County, where he purchased land and went to farming, in which occupation he has been unusually successful. In 1879 he erected and fitted up a factory for the manufacture of tile of seven different sizes, and with sufficient capacity to employ twenty men during the entire tile-mak- ing season. This was the first establishment of the kind operated in the county. The clay upon a por- tion of his farm is peculiarly adapted to tile mold- ing and baking, and the product of his factory is of the most excellent quality. He is one of the principal members of the Tile Manufacturers' As- sociation of Illinois, and has given a great deal of time and attention to this industry, and it may justly be said of him that he has brought as much good common sense, enterprise and means to bear in the manufacture of tile as any man in this sec- tion of the State. He owns 780 acres of excellent land. the home farm consisting of 365 acres, on which he has ereeted a modern briek residence and excellent farm buildings, and we are pleased to pre- sent, in connection with this brief sketch of his life, a full-page view of the homestead and tile factory,

LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

as well as a portrait of the generous proprietor. Mr. Straight is one of the Trustees of the Presby- terian Church, has held various township offices, and has been President of the Agricultural Associ- ation for eight years. He is quite pronounced in his political views, and espouses with enthusiasm the principles of the Republican party.

Mr. and Mrs. Straight have a very interesting family of children, of whom they are pardonably proud. Willis is following in the footsteps of his father, and is operating a large tile establishment at Manhattan, Ill .: Lee is also a tile manufacturer, and is successfully managing a large establishment at El Paso, Ill .; Miss Lizzie is naturally an artist, and in 1883 began to take instructions in art of Mr. Bigelow. of Chicago, and has also been under in- struction in Evanston, Ill .; Nellie has likewise been a student at Evanston; she has made re- markable progress, and will no doubt become an eminent artist. Guy and Stella are attending the public schools of Fairbury, from which the latter will graduate in the coming June.

Mr. and Mrs. Straight were certainly born under a lucky star; they have prospered in all the mate- rial affairs of life : they have within their call a fam- ily of dutiful children; have been honored by the social and religious organizations to which they be- long, and have the esteem and respect of all the people of the community in which they live. If all these conditions are not conducive to happiness, what is?

ILLIAM H. MOORE many years ago be- came known throughout Pontiac Township as a farmer and stock-raiser of more than ordinary ability, and whose efforts were uniformly rewarded with success. Ile has a fine homestead on section 13, and i- the owner of eighty acres, while his wife has 100 acres. lle came to this county in the spring of 1877, and at once became prominent in local affairs, serving as Road Com- missioner and School Director, and assisting, as time and opportunity afforded, in building up the business and social interests of the community.

Mr. Moore was born in Franklin County, Mass., May 3, 1832, and is the son of William G. and Eliza- !

beth (Handy ) Moore, natives respectively of Maine and the Bay State. They emigrated from New England to the West in 1840, and coming into this State, located first in Fulton County, whence they shortly afterward removed to Peoria County, in which they resided for a period of thirty-five years. In their declining years they crossed the Missis- sippi, and the father died in Holt County, Neb., in July, 1885. The mother had returned East and spent her last days in her native State, passing away in 1880. They were the parents of seven children, namely, William H., of our sketch; John, a resident of Nebraska; Mary J., the wife of Henry Shugart, of Peoria County. Ill .; Ann, the wife of John S. Keller, of Holt County, Neb .; Sarah, widow of the late John Dailey, of Peoria; Charles W., of Holt County, Neb .; and Catherine. the wife of James Dodd, of the same place. The father of John S. Keller, Isaac Keller by name, was a minis- ter of the Presbyterian Church, and was among the pioneer preachers of Peoria, Ill .. where he labored successfully many years.

Our subject was a lad nine years of age when his parents came to this State, and was reared and edu- eated mostly in Peoria County. He has been con- tinuously engaged in farming pursuits since a youth, with which his tastes and inclinations have always fully accorded. Soon after reaching his majority, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Keyes, who was born in Ohio, in November, 1832, and became the mother of four children: John I. was born Sept. 28, 1855; Fanny C., Nov. 1, 1858, is now the wife of Jacob K. Teach; Alice J. was born July 10, 1862, and became the wife of Oliver Teach, of Pontiac; Charles W. was born Oct. 22, 1870, and is now at home. The mother of these children departed this life at her home in Peoria County, III., Jan. 6, 1874.

The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married Jan. 24, 1882, was formerly Mrs. Winni- fred Handley, of Livingston County, Ill. She was born in Huntingdon County, Pa., April 11, 1843, and is the daughter of Charles and Eliza Duff. When a young lady she was married to John S. llandley, and became the mother of two children : Anna B., born Feb. 23, 1870, and Robert C., Dee. 6, 1874. The maternal great-grandfather of Mrs.

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LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

Moore, John Cunningham by name, served as a sol- dier in the Revolutionary War, passing his last year's in Pennsylvania. Her parents were natives of that State, where they remained until after the late Civil War, then came to Livingston County, Ill., where they spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying in 1873, and the mother in 1887.

Mr. Moore, politically, affiliates with the Demo- eratic party, although taking little part in the vari- ous questions of the day otherwise than performing his duty as an American citizen at the polls. Mrs. Moore is a worthy and acceptable member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

R OMULUS J. OAKES, who has seen much of the world, both on the good and the bad side, during his life, is now a farmer and stock-raiser on section 33. Long Point Town- ship. He is a native of Waterville, Vt., and was born on the 16th of March, 1822. He is the son of John and Amy (Thomas) Oakes, who were the parents of the following-named children: Darius, who was a farmer by occupation, and died in Miehi- gan, leaving a wife and three children; Nathan, who was twiee married and died in Vermont, leaving two children : Esther, who married Amos Thomas and had one child, and whose husband died in 1884, at the age of eighty years; Cyrenus died in Belvi- dere, Vt., and left three children : Osear died in 1879, leaving a wife and two danghters; Horatio married Mrs. Ann Gregg, and they have a family of five children, and live at Blackstone. Ill.

Romulus J. Oakes has been married twice. The first wife was Mrs. Huldah (Leonard) Wilkison, who was born on the 31st of March, 1826, and died at 6:30 A. M., Feb. 27, 1876, at the age of forty-nine years, ten months and twenty-seven days. This marriage occurred in October. 1871. The second marriage was on the 30th of December, 1877. to Miss Nancy Rickey, of Long Point, and the result of this nnion has been one child, Don Carlos, who was born on the 11th of September. 1878. and is now attending school at home. Nancy Rickey, the wife of Mr. Oakes, was born on the 16th of December. 1861, and was the daughter of Thomas B. Rickey.

who was born on the 1 1th of March, 1835, and died June 25, 1870, aged thirty-five years, three months and nine days, and Mary A. (Smith) Rickey, who was born on the 4th of July, 1838, and the date of whose death is not remembered. Thomas B. and Mary A. Rickey were the parents of the following- named children : Sarah A., born Dec. 22, 1856. and was married to L. G. Belt March 2, 1882; Mary Isabelle, born Jume 10, 1858, and died Jan. 5, 1860. aged eighteen months and twenty-six days; Foster. born April 1, 1860, and died Aug. 27, 1867, aged seven years, four months and twenty-seven days; Armendy, born Aug. 12. 1863, and was married to Freeman Smalley, has two children, and lives in Kan- sas: Lillie, born Jume 2, 1855, was married to John Russel Feb. 15, 1883, has two boys, and lives in Livingston County; Josephine, born Nov. 28, 1866, married Charles Wedding, and lives in Kansas; James P. was born Sept. 25. 1868; Rose Ann, March 23. 1878.

R. J. Oakes was educated in the common schools for a short time, and is largely a self-educated man. He came from Vermont to Ohio in 1836. From Ohio he went to Michigan, where he stopped one year, and from there back to Ohio, remaining one summer, and in 1839 went to work on a Mississippi River steamboat. At St. Louis he enlisted in Com- pany C, 5th United States Infantry, where he served for four years, eleven and one-half months, and was discharged at the expiration of his time. Ile enlisted under the name of Joseph Simpson, the ob- ject being to keep his parents and relatives from knowing of his whereabouts, and for seven years they had no tidings whatever from him. After he- ing discharged from the army at Detroit he went to the State of New York, where he engaged for six years in keeping a canal station during the summer months. From New York he went back to Michi- gan and worked for one year in a sawmill, and then came to Illinois but did not remain long, going to Minnesota, where he staid two years. In the fall that Uncle Abe Lincoln ran for President he came back to Illinois, and dates his residence in this State from that time. Ilis residence since that time in Illinois has been continuous.

Mr. Oakes now owns eighty acres of land, which is eligibly located on section 33. Long Point Town-

LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

-hip. Besides farming he devotes considerable at- tention to stock-raising, and has been successful in both. le i- in politics an independent Republican. which means that he will vote for the Republican in preference to a member of any other party, provid- ing he is a good man : in other words, while his be- liets are in harmony with the doctrines of the Re- publican party, he does not feel himself in duty bound to vote for a scalawag simply because he is a Republican. He is a man who has seen both the dark and the bright sides of the world, but makes it an object now to put himself into a position to look upwoon the bright side all the time. llis wife is a lady of good education, and has a natural taste for cer- tain lines of artistic and fancy work, and is an expert in the making of tissue paper boqnets, hair work, Kensington embroidery and fancy work, and the wall- and windows of her residence show many evidences of her skill in this line. They are happily and pleasantly situated and well surrounded with the comfort- of life.

MOS EDWARDS, retired farmer and now a resident of Cornell, is one of the hon- ored pioneers of Livingston County, who nearly fifty years ago pushed his way into an unsettled country, and entered a quarter section of land from the Government. lle did not, how- ever, take possession of this until the following year, but returned to his native State of Now York, and completed his preparations for the pro- posed change. Ile had already a wife and family and when starting for Illinois the second time was equipped with a lumber wagon and two horses, by which means he transported his family and house- hold goods, and arrived at his destination on the 7th of September, 1839. On his land there was not even shelter for their heads, and they moved into the house of a neighbor, said structure being built of logs, and furnished in the most primitive manner. In May following Mr. Edwards had erected under great difficulties a frame dwelling after the Eastern fashion, and which was considered a very fine affair for those days. This he ocenpied for many years, and until after his children had

grown up, and leaving the home shelter had estab- lished themselves in domiciles of their own.

Mr. Edwards is the offspring of some of the best and oldest stock of the East, originally New Englanders, but subsequently locating in New York State. Ilis parents, Pauland Deborah ( Wage) Edwards, were natives of Connecticut, the former born Aug. 3, 1774, and the latter in 1776. The paternal grandparents were Peleg and Margaret (King) Edwards, who traced their ancestry back to England. Mrs. Deborah Edwards was the daughter of Amos and Chloe (Brown) Wage, and by her mar- riage with the father of our subject became the mother of the children whose record is as follows: Deborah, born in 1801, was married, and died in 1833, leaving an infant about three weeks old; Sam- nel was born July 20, 1803, was married and became the father of three daughters, and one son, who died in the South while serving as a soldier in the Union army ; Amos, our subject, was born in Sar- atoga County, N. Y., Dec. 15, 1806; Nathan was born April 14, 1808, and died in 1857; Lydia was born March 5, 1810, became the wife of Philip Nigh, of Ohio, and died in November, 1875; Pe- leg was born in April, 1814, and died in Amity Township, this county, in 1862, leaving a wife but no children ; William, born in 1817, died when five years old. The mother of these children departed this life at her home in Amity, in December, 1851. Panl Edwards had passed away Ang. 27, 1850, in Amity Township.

Our subject remained a resident of his native State until twenty-eight years of age, being em- ployed mostly in teaching, for which he received fifty cents per day, twenty-four days in the month for seven years. Finally, in 1835, he migrated to Sandusky County, Ohio. lle had while in New York State been married, Sept. 19, 1833, to Miss Abigail Coffin, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Providence. Mrs. Edwards was born Dec. 1, 1811, and became the mother of three children: Maria, born March 16, 1835; Harriet. Nov. 28, 1836, and llenry C., April 21, 1838. Mrs. Abigail Edwards departed this life at her home, Oet. 13, 1840. Our subject sub- sequently married Laura Lounsberg, Jan. 21, 1841 ; she died Jan. 27, 1875. Mrs. Jemima Talbot, May

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21, 1876, became his third wife. This lady was born in Ohio, Dec. 16, 1809. She came to Illinois with her parents in 1838, and remained with them until her first marriage.

Mr. Edwards has been in all respects one of the most useful and enterprising men of his township, and as the country settled up around him he was tacitly chosen as a leader, and a man suitable to be the incumbent of the first offices. He was elected County Surveyor in 1844, serving four years, and re-elected for a second term. At the next election the candidate either could not or would not qualify, and Mr. Edwards was called upon to fill the office thus made vacant, officiating twelve years thereafter in this capacity. He was appointed Postmaster of the infant town of Amity under Cave Johnson, who sent his commission to the house and invested him with the office, which he held until 1861, when he lost his political scalp.

Mr. Edwards' first Presidential vote was cast in 1832 for Andrew Jackson, and he has since remained an uncompromising Democrat. On account of his extraordinarily retentive memory he is one of the most interesting men to converse with to be found anywhere. His knowledge of early events enables him to chronicle a long series of interest- ing events, many of which have escaped the notice and memory of the pioneers who were connected with them and are now fast passing away. Our subject did not particularly bend his energies to the accumulation of wealth ; however, he owns a com- fortable home in the village and some town prop- erty besides.

8 -C

1 SAAC J. SPANGLER. "Whatever is worth" doing at all is worth doing well" is a motto that should be faithfully adhered to all the way through life; but unfortunately such is not the case. Where a man is found who personifies in his work and business affairs this axiom, there system, order and harmony prevail, and there is no uncertainty about the resultant prosperity. The writer is prompted to these reflections by a visit to the mag- nificently ordered stock farm on section 18, Belle

Prairie Township, owned by the subject of this sketch.

Mr. Spangler was born in Lebanon County, Pa., on the 13th of January, 1840, and is the son of Jacob and Maria (Beckley ) Spangler, natives of the same State. The father was born in 1806 and died April 25, 1879, on the old homestead in Pennsyl- vania. Ile spoke and wrote German influently. lle was a shoemaker by trade, but a part of his time was engaged in the management of a small farm. The mother was born in 1808, and died in 1851. She was a kind and gentle woman, and was much beloved by all who knew her. They were both members of the German Reformed Church, and were the parents of twelve children, including our subject : Michael; . Jonathan, deceased; Samuel lives in Pennsylvania: David lives in Columbus, Ohio; Maria; Israel; Harriet died at the age of five years; Joseph lives on the homestead : Catherine; Rudolph, now in Arkansas, and one child who died in infancy.

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Portrait and bigraphical album of Livingston County, Ill. : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and biographies , Part 52

Author: Chapman Brothers (Chicago) publisher Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago : Chapman brothers Number of Pages: 1208

Author: Chapman Brothers (Chicago) publisher
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 1208